Prince Harry Fulfills Elderly Man's Doughnut Request amid Wildfire Relief Efforts: 'I Will Find One'

Mar. 15, 2025

Prince Harry, left, with mayor of Pasadena Victor Gordo, right, in Altadena on Friday, January 10, 2025.Photo:Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty

Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty

Prince Harryfulfilled an elderly man’s special request at an emergency evacuation center in California amid theseries of wildfiresdevastating the Los Angeles area.

On Jan. 10, Prince Harry andMeghan Marklewent incognito for a visit to Pasadena Convention Center tohelp with the relief effortfollowing the Eaton Fire (one of three wildfiresstill burningin L.A.), where they served food, delivered supplies and met with people affected. According to Pasadena Mayor Victor Gordo, who spent time with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex there, Harry hopped into action when an elderly man asked for a doughnut.

Gordo told thePasadena Star-Newsthat he saw Prince Harry, 40, sitting with a bedridden, elderly man and approached with a food cart, prompting Harry to ask the man if he wanted a sandwich, tangerine or water.

“The gentleman said, ‘What I’d really like is a donut,’ " Gordo told the outlet, and cited Prince Harry as replying, “‘There’s no doughnut here, but I will find one.’ "

Prince Harry and Victor Gordo, mayor of Pasadena, visit a home that was destroyed in Altadena on Jan. 10, 2025.Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty

“He takes off, and 10 minutes later, he returns with a doughnut. The gentleman looks up and says, ‘I guess I need my carbs and my sugar.' That gentleman tonight is at the convention center and does not know it was Prince Harry who brought him that doughnut,” the mayor said.

Gordo shared that the man turned to Harry and said, “If you ever run for anything, I’ll vote for you.”

Prince Harry, left, with mayor of Pasadena Victor Gordo, center, in Altadena on Friday, January 10, 2025.Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex discreetly supported wildfire relief efforts while in the Pasadena area on Jan. 10, where they heard harrowing stories and experienced the strong community spirit firsthand. The couple donated essential supplies, served meals with World Central Kitchen (a longtime partner of their charitable Archewell Foundation) and connected with affected families and elderly individuals.

Harry and Meghan have also contributed monetary donations through their Archwell Foundation, and plan to continue supporting the recovery and rebuilding mission with future visits.

“It’s great people, great personalities and great heart for them to come out here and meet with the first responders, meet with the people who were affected.” Gordo told FOX about what it was like to have Prince Harry and Meghan show support. “It’s very important. They really buoyed the spirits of the first responders.”

“Delaying the release of With Love, Meghan was likely an easy decision for her. I don’t think she could imagine putting out a show centered on joy and hosting when so many people in her home state no longer have homes to host people in,” the insider tells PEOPLE. “I think it’s sad that critics are saying she’s only doing this to avoid the fires overshadowing her show. We’re all human, and we’re dealing with a catastrophe.”

Meghan Markle in Altadena on Jan. 10, 2025.Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty

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Prince Harry and Meghan, 43, have lived in California since 2020 and reside with their children,Prince Archie, 5 andPrincess Lilibet, 3, further north in Montecito, which is about 90 miles from the Los Angeles area. The Duchess of Sussex was born and raised in L.A., and her upcoming show, filmed in Montecito, pays tribute to the beauty of Southern California.

PEOPLE previously confirmed that Meghan and Prince Harry opened their own home to friends and loved ones forced to evacuate. According to Cal Fire, the Palisades Fire, Eaton Fire and Hurst Fire were still burning as of Jan. 13. The Eaton Fire, near where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex visited, is 33% contained.

David McNew/Getty

Click hereto learn more about how to help the victims of the L.A. fires.

source: people.com